1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable grills for cooking and heating food and liquid by open fire, such as a campfire, and, more particularly, to a portable grill assembly that includes a fire tray, the fire tray being used to elevate an open fire off the ground, while also being compact to facilitate ease of portability and stowage for travel.
2. Background Art
Outdoor, open fires, such as campfires, have been used to cook food for many hundreds of years. Typically, a campfire is started on the ground with fuel, such as wood, paper, leaves, and the like, oxygen and an igniter such as a match. When the fire reaches an appropriate temperature to cook food or heat liquids, a grill or grate may be placed over the fire. The grill or grate may be sized such that any type of meat, vegetable, pot, coffee maker, etc., may be placed on the grill for heating to a desired temperature for eating or drinking.
Often, a fire may burn for a period of time after the food has been cooked and consumed and many times the fire may be left unattended. An unattended open fire may contribute to the start of a larger wild fire that may grow out of control burning many acres and damaging property and endangering lives. Because of this threat, many states do not allow open ground campfires. These states may require that any fire used for cooking be contained in a unit capable of holding a fire such as a typical charcoal fire grill. While these charcoal grills work well to contain fires and cook food, they are often bulky and difficult to travel with if one is backpacking in the wilderness, traveling light such as by motorcycle, tailgating at a sporting event and the like.
Therefore, a need exists for a portable grill assembly having a fire tray that fully contains a fire for cooking and provides a means to elevate the fire off the ground, yet the grill assembly is compact enough to be easily stowed for traveling and quickly assembled.